Inside the United Airlines engine shop (photos)

At the United Airlines Maintenance facility at San Francisco International Airport, CNET tours the airline's engine shop and catches close-up views of the Blue Angels and United aircraft.

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Inside the engine shop

A week ago, I attended the United Airlines Family Day at its maintenance base at San Francisco International Airport. Besides getting close-up views of the Blue Angels and a few United aircraft, I also was able to walk through the airline's engine repair show where mechanics maintain engines for United's Boeing 747, 757, 767, and 777 aircraft. The tour offered an intriguing glimpse into not only what jet engines look like from the inside, but also what all the parts cost.

If you still have cash to spend you could pick up this high-pressure compressor rotor module for $250,000. When put together, a complete 777 engine costs $10 million to $12 million and a 747 engine costs around $8 million.